But now it’s oncology’s turn to enjoy large hairy men: In this week’s episode, Laura Linney’s character Cathy befriended Lee (Hugh Dancy, at right), a gay cancer patient with very specific tastes in men. Lee took Cathy and husband Paul (Oliver Platt) to his favorite bar for a little Bear 101.

The episode, “Goldilocks and The Bears,” played fast and loose with facts and funny slang (What exactly is a “beartrapper” again?) but it’s still sweetly amusing to see Oliver Platt treated like an object of lust by a gang of Central Casting beardos—and find himself turned on in the process.

The Big C is a wonderful show and Laura Linney’s performance is wonderful as always. I watched this episode last night and was somewhat disappointed at the stereotypical portrayal of the gay bar the cast visited.

Aug 10, 2011 at 12:01 pm · @Reply ·

Cam

@Tony: said… ” I watched this episode last night and was somewhat disappointed at the stereotypical portrayal of the gay bar the cast visited.”
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Thank you! Especially the part where in a normal looking sportsbar people were ducking off to a backroom for sex. Seemed like a throwback to 70’s portrayals.

Sure seemed to us that the bar reflected a bar life that exists all over the country. Certainly not every bar has a back room, but there are many that do. Yes it was a studio set, but we thought they pulled it off.

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For the younger set, when you’re bored or home with the flu, Laura Linney plays the central plot character Mary Ann Singleton in all of the “Tales of the City”, “More Tales” and “Further Tales of the City” — she is as brilliant and the writing/story.

Aug 10, 2011 at 2:20 pm · @Reply ·

Brandon H

I didn’t like that the one guy lee picks up is the slimmest, least harry guy in the joint other than Lee. And the whole throwing the number away right there in the bar was just bad form (jesus, put it in your pocket and throw it away later asshole)

It was funny though, Oliver platt was hilarious.

Aug 10, 2011 at 2:59 pm · @Reply ·

Tony

@ Mike in Ashville: Well, Mike, I must not get out much…I’ve never been to a bar that had a sex room…and that’s the truth.

Aug 10, 2011 at 4:45 pm · @Reply ·

L-InAustin

We were excited when her cancer friend said that her husband is his type. I am that body type and my partner is much younger and a twink. It’s always good to see yourself reflected in the boob tube, ya know

BUT for such a tight script it let us down. At the gay bar there were all the big bears. Then the guy her cancer friend goes to have sex with was a fit nice looking guy with some facial hear. Give me a freakin’ break. The character said his body type was x then he went with the stereotypical in shape gay guy who looks nothing like x.

Plus that character is written to bring such authenticity to the show with his self-aware, cancer-healing-process-accepting and honesty. Then he breaks all that in one move by going with the gay-socially acceptable stereotype for the backroom action. Unless I’m missing some flaw in the character I don’t he would be capable of going against what his type is.

The show’s esteem lost a notch.

Aug 11, 2011 at 2:59 am · @Reply ·

JoeyO'H

I love this show. I thought the episode the other night was hilarious and found no disrespect in the content. It thought it was pretty correct. There are still backrooms and hide-outs in some bear/leather clubs, such as one in Philadelphia called the Bike Stop. These type of clubs may not be as plentiful as they once did in the 70’s and 80’s, but they do exist.

Aug 11, 2011 at 7:39 am · @Reply ·

JoeyO'H

I love this show. I thought the episode the other night was hilarious and found no disrespect in the content. It thought it was pretty correct. There are still backrooms and hide-outs in some bear/leather clubs, such as one in Philadelphia called the Bike Stop. These type of clubs may not be as plentiful as they once were in the 70’s and 80’s, but they do exist.

Aug 11, 2011 at 7:39 am · @Reply ·

Mike in Asheville

@Tony: Well Tony, where do you live? I will find a couple nearby ones for you to check out. I’ve been in bars in Berkeley, SF, LA, NYC, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston with backrooms. The wildest was in Florence (Italy, not Florida) where they had a “backroom” basement complete with cells, leather benches, XXX videos, free lube and condoms!

Aug 11, 2011 at 9:54 am · @Reply ·

Mike in Asheville

@L-InAustin: We gay boys are not the show’s only target audience. Yes there was the discrepancy between the “I like’m big and hairy” and going for the “Panda bear.” On the brighter side, Kathy is into Paul; Laura Linney with Oliver Platt.

I did wonder what the Asian and gay + Asian blogs would say about the term “Panda bear”?

And, at least for me, I do Lee, the Panda Bear, the chiropractor, Oliver Platt — variety, yum (so long as they are gay, of course).